CarolCooks2…A-Z World Cuisines…Part 27…Finland…The Land of Reindeers and Midnight Sun…

 

Welcome to my new A-Z …World Cuisines…where I will be looking at the countries of the world, their food and national dish or their most popular dish around the world…by this I mean some dishes are eaten in many countries as their fame has spread around the world…

Today I am looking at the cuisine of Finland.

Passionate about food and loyal to their culinary roots apart from some odd dishes for which you may need an acquired taste there is some delicious food that you should try…

Thanks to the clean air in Finland, the cleanest in the world, the food that grows wild is delicious and fresh – like porcini mushrooms or cloudberries…The Chanterelle mushroom, or ‘kantarelli’ in Finnish, is one of the most beloved and commonly used mushrooms in Finland.

If you are a fan of squeaky cheese and sweet desserts you would likely love Juustoleipä …the cheese is heated in a pan so it’s a lovely mottled brown then served with cloudberries and a coffee…

Juustoleipä is a typical dessert from Northern Finland.

Did you know?

Finland has been voted the happiest country in the world and it is the land of reindeer with a reindeer population of about 200,000. That’s 20,000 more reindeer than people!

Who doesn’t love a pie?... Karelian pasties/pies…

Karelian pasties are the Finnish equivalent of pizza in Italy. These tasty delicacies are made from pastry and filled with mashed potato or rice pudding. Traditionally they are eaten with egg butter or other toppings…Karelian pasties are popular throughout the whole of Finland.

Rye bread or Ruisleipä is so beloved by Finns that it was voted the national food in 2017 (the same year Finland celebrated its 100th year of independence from Russia). Eaten for breakfast, as a side at lunch, and as a snack, ruisleipä is a staple of the Finnish diet that’s often served with ham and cheese or a side of butter…although some will say Karelian Stew is still the National dish it is often eaten at Christmas and on Finlands Independence Day.

Poronkäristys… Sautéed reindeer…

I know you have visions of Rudolph however Finns enjoy reindeer meat all throughout the year. This classic is not just popular in Finland, but also in other Nordic countries, though with local variations. In Finland, the reindeer meat is thinly sliced and sautéed in water, cream or beer and served with mashed potato, pickled cucumber and cranberry sauce.

Earlier I said there were some dishes where an acquired taste is required and this dish is one of them…

Mykyrokka or Blood dumpling soup…

If you’re not a fan of blood sausage or the like, then you should probably steer clear of mykyrokka, a soup made from potatoes, onion, liver, salt, pepper, and of course dumplings made from blood. This dish is a local delicacy in the Savonia in Finland…I’ll spare you the image…

This video is a fun look at food in Finland…

So if you love salted liquorice or Mcdonald’s Finland has it all although the Finns do it better with their Hesburger…

I can’t leave this virtual tour of Finland without a mention of the Salmon…There is a huge variety of this absolute classic dish, but essentially lohikeitto is a delicious fish soup made with cream, salmon, potatoes and vegetables. Enjoyed with a slice of rye bread!…my kind of food…

Looking at this soup has inspired me to make it in my kitchen we love salmon and this is making me drool…I have attached a link to the recipe I am going to try it quick and easy to make with few ingredients…

Thank you for joining me today…I hope you enjoyed your pancakes last night as always I look forward to your comments and appreciate any shares…

32 thoughts on “CarolCooks2…A-Z World Cuisines…Part 27…Finland…The Land of Reindeers and Midnight Sun…”

    1. CarolCooks2 Post author

      It does, Gail and I too would love to visit and try the wonderful cuisine but methinks it will only ever be virtual as my bucket is groaning-smile- but we can replicate as well as we can in our own kitchens…It is lovely to see you here…welcome and thank you for your valued comment 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    1. CarolCooks2 Post author

      Hello Robbie… I’m not sure I would have been horrified but not sure I would eat it either but I am curious and may have tried just a little piece after all its just what we are used to eating… I wouldn’t eat dog or horse meat and have never eaten veal but other cultures do and think nothing of it.. Did you like the food overall or did you stick to what you know? I hope you have a nice weekend, Robbie with no health dramas x

      Liked by 1 person

      1. robbiesinspiration

        Hi Carol, so far Michael is getting better on the medications. Next week’s scan will be the truth sayer. I have a busy medical week coming up. Hubby has the ophthalmologist on Tuesday and the physician on Thursday. Michael has the ENT on Wed and Dad has the physician on Fri. Whew! Hope all is well on your side with your medical dramas. I already feel as if 2023 should just end now.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. CarolCooks2 Post author

        Fingers crossed all goes well and no Robbie it’s getting worse Donna has ENT on Monday so in full panic mode now I don’t know if I wish this year hadn’t started or was over…I think we both need to escape somewhere quiet and remote and just scream! You take care xx

        Liked by 1 person

  8. beetleypete

    I love black pudding, so would eat blood dumplings. I have never been to Finland, but my cousin went to Helsinki some years ago. He said the food was great, but twice (or three times) as expensive compared to London at the time. I wonder how such a small country can tolerate such high prices in restaurants.
    Best wishes, Pete. x

    Liked by 1 person

    1. CarolCooks2 Post author

      Compared to other countries in the world, Finland’s average salary is relatively high…so I suppose its all relative , Pete x My other half would probably eat them as he too loves black pudding I don’t ..blood products are sold everywhere here and eaten by many x

      Liked by 1 person

  9. johnrieber

    What a coincidence! I was making a fish / conch chowder today and now I want to incorporate the herbs and spices of this dish! Terrific look at a country that doesn’t get the spotlight much!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. CarolCooks2 Post author

      That sounds good, John I love a good fish chowder and yes I agree the cuisine of Finland doesn’t seem to appear much in the culinary world I don’t think many of the Nordic countries are and its a shame 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      1. johnrieber

        Carol, my chowder turned out so awful I toss most of it out! The recipe called for Clove, and even though I used just a bit, it overwhelmed the dish in the worst day! Live and learn!

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    1. CarolCooks2 Post author

      Yes the salmon chowder sounds good to me too, Dorothy …similar dishes to those dumplings are served here quite frequently but although I will try most things I will not eat anything with cubes of set blood in .it just makes me cringe thinking about it …

      Liked by 1 person

    1. CarolCooks2 Post author

      I am working my way around the world Marian so hopefully I won’t leave anyone out I find it really interesting both the similarities and the differences between cuisines 🙂 I hope you are having a great week 🙂

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